Parents aren’t enrolling their children in your classical school because of math scores or college placement rates. Not really. Those may be part of the pitch—but the deeper desire, the one they often struggle to articulate, is this:

They want their children to become something—something whole, something rooted, something resilient and good.

That’s formation. And if your website buries it beneath curriculum grids and standardized test charts, you’re missing your most powerful message.

Most School Sites Lead with Brains. Yours Should Lead with Soul.

Classical education forms the whole person—mind, heart, and soul. That message needs to come through the very moment someone lands on your homepage. But many classical school websites treat formation as an afterthought: tucked away in a mission paragraph or diluted into a general “philosophy” page.

To lead with formation, your site should feel different. Your layout, imagery, and tone should embody your ideals—not just explain them. As we wrote in our guide to academic philosophy pages, every element is part of the story. That includes:

• The virtue language you use in headers and buttons
• The photos you choose to highlight
• The rhythm and hierarchy of your content blocks

Information is helpful. But formation is magnetic.

1. Design for Delight, Not Just Direction

Navigation isn’t just about getting people from point A to point B. It’s about shaping what they notice, remember, and believe. Use your website’s architecture to reflect your school’s priorities. Instead of generic links like “Academics,” consider phrases like:

• Formation of the Heart — to house your character education or virtue program
• Ritual & Rhythm — to explain daily liturgies, feast days, and chants
• Becoming Fully Human — to reflect your graduate vision or portrait of a student

Each page becomes a catechesis, not just a directory.

2. Use Visuals as Theology

The photos you publish preach. Stock photos scream generic. But images of real students absorbed in morning prayer, holding a bee jar on a nature walk, or reading aloud under a tree all communicate your telos—what your school is ultimately forming them for.

Make sure every visual element answers one of these:

• What kind of people are we forming?
• What do we believe is good, true, and beautiful?
• What daily practices make formation visible?

And when you include video, don’t just show kids in uniforms. Capture processions, recitations, shared meals—moments that shape memory and meaning.

3. Let Formation Shape the Flow of Every Page

Most websites are structured like digital brochures: problem → product → call to action. Instead, model your page flow after a liturgy or narrative arc:

1. Invitation: Begin with something transcendent—a quote, image, or idea that signals, “This is different.”
2. Revelation: Explain your formation philosophy in vivid language, not just educational jargon.
3. Embodiment: Use photos and student voices to show the philosophy in action.
4. Call to Pilgrimage: Instead of “Schedule a Tour,” try “Come and See” or “Walk Our Halls with Wonder.”

You’re not just offering enrollment. You’re inviting them into a story of becoming.

4. Feature Formation on Pages That Usually Hide It

Don’t limit the message of formation to one page. It should bleed into your tuition page, your tour sign-up, even your contact form. When parents explore your site, every section should quietly reinforce this: “We care more about who your child becomes than what they accomplish.”

Even small choices—like using the phrase “Formed for Wonder” on your CTA button instead of “Apply Now”—can make that ethos sing.

If you want to see this in action, explore our post on tour pages that convert. We explain how to make every part of the visit—from digital to in-person—feel like a journey through wonder, not just walls.

5. Replace “About Us” with “Our Formation Story”

“About” pages often default to bios and timelines. That’s fine—but it misses a chance to cast vision. A better approach? Craft a narrative-driven page that follows your school’s arc of formation:

• Why you were founded (problem)
• What you believe about human flourishing (conviction)
• How that’s embodied daily (practice)
• What your students become (fruit)

Structure it like a story, not a staff directory. If you’re curious about how to do this without losing clarity, we unpack that idea more fully in our case against the traditional ‘About Us’ page.

6. Align Voice with Virtue

Your word choices shape how you’re perceived. If your goal is to form students in humility, courage, and joy—then your copy should sound like that. Drop corporate phrases like “world-class faculty” or “results-driven” and replace them with:

• “Rooted in wonder”
• “Formed by truth and tradition”
• “Shaped by stillness, story, and song”

Good formation is impossible to fake. But it’s also too easy to bury under a layer of copy that sounds like every other private school.

7. Elevate Your Call to Action

Your CTA isn’t just a marketing tool. It’s the culmination of your formation story. Instead of “Request Information,” consider:

• “Begin the Journey”
• “Step into the Story”
• “Visit a Place Where Wonder Leads”

The goal isn’t to be clever. It’s to be congruent. Your site should feel like your school—virtue-infused, thoughtful, and deeply human.

Formation Isn’t a Section. It’s the Story.

Most schools talk about formation. But too few show it. If your website doesn’t preach the soul of your school, it won’t attract the families who are truly aligned with your mission.

Lead with what matters most. Let every line, layout, image, and CTA reflect your highest aim—not just academic excellence, but the cultivation of the good, the true, and the beautiful.

The strongest websites aren’t information hubs. They’re visual theology—digital spaces where formation begins the moment someone clicks.